Tag: 2008 Elections

Hey there folks, TJ from Loaded Orygun here–Oregon’s progressive community and a member of the 50-State Blog Network.

All eyes are obviously turned towards Oregon later tonight, but without any results until at least 11pm eastern–and no exits to pore over–some folks might get a little edgy from all the “Obama can’t hack the working class” nonsense on cable and need a distraction to get ready for the GOOD news.

The first thing to check out is the nuts and bolts election info provided by one of our members, skywaker9. Ballot dropoffs, other websites to visit, where to get results, how vote by mail works here–lots of great stuff.

We’ve been mostly covering the Senate race between Steve Novick and Jeff Merkley, and I’m sure what most folks would like to know is, who’s gonna win? And the answer is…no one knows for sure. But there have been four polls in the last 8 days on the race, and taken together they definitely give us some clues.

Want something a little peppier, visual and shorter to read through? What’s easier than videos? Check out the candidates responding to the most recent SUSA, Novick’s ad on Hardball last night, and what some pundits have called “the best 90 seconds of the primary.”  

Finally, a look at some of the many non-Oregon publications that have featured Novick or addressed the Senate race. Prominent among recent articles is the AP piece essentially pitting Novick against Chuck Schumer, but there’s also a top-notch bio piece by the Oregonian if you need to find out more about the man, a great interview in slashdot–plus links to all of the 12 state newspapers that endorsed Novick.

Enjoy your virtual visit to Oregon, and I hope your candidate wins!

“I’m staying,” Boehner told ABC host George Stephanopoulos. “My job is to help bring our members together.”

Boehner said he talked late last week with Cole (R-Okla.), whose job security as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee is now in question after losing a third straight special election.

“Tom and I had a very good meeting on Friday – frank and constructive and positive,” Boehner said. “He’s staying.”

Rest of the article here: http://www.politico.com/blogs/…

Boehner is doing a really bang up job here.  First, he admits what his job is. That opens the doors to criticism that, rightly so, he just is not getting the job done.  He has made public statements saying what Republicans need to do; brand themselves as change, donate to the NRCC, etc. and nothing seems to change.  

Second, he took the time to chainlink himself to Tom Cole, like he needed help putting his leadership position into question.  

This is too precious.  It is like Republicans have turned into a bunch of chickens running around with their heads cut off.  That is only after 33 seats have gone down the tube over the past year and a half.  Just wait till we build on that after 2008.  Too precious.  

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Barack Obama’s impact on downballot races across the country, particularly after Republican Greg Davis’ thinly veiled race-baiting campaign ended up creating an African-American backlash that handed Mississippi’s 1st district to Travis Childers last Tuesday. Davis figured that polarizing the district along racial lines would be a winning formula, considering that MS-01 is “only” 27% black. He learned a costly lesson.

The New York Times piece I linked above quotes an Atlanta-based political scientist who predicts that, with Obama at the top of the ticket, we’ll see “the largest black turnout in the history of the United States”. I have little reason to doubt it. Indeed, there are clear signs that the Obama campaign is going to do everything it can to ramp up African-American voter registration and turnout this fall, even in deeply red Southern states.

So where might we see the biggest impact of this energized African-American electorate (the most loyal of all Democratic constituencies) down the ballot? Let’s start by taking a look at the GOP-held House districts with a black population greater than 20%. (All numbers are from 2005, courtesy of Tech Politics.)

Incumbent	District	Black Pop.
Chip Pickering	MS-03	33.9%
Jim McCrery	LA-04	33.6%
Rodney Alexander	LA-05	32.9%
Randy Forbes	VA-04	31.9%
Mike Rogers	AL-03	31.4%
Phil Gingrey	GA-11	30.9%
Terry Everett	AL-02	29.8%
Steve Chabot	OH-01	28.4%
Robin Hayes	NC-08	28.1%
Jo Bonner	AL-01	28.0%
Joe Wilson	SC-02	26.7%
Charles Boustany	LA-07	25.2%
Virgil Goode	VA-05	22.5%
Patrick Tiberi	OH-12	21.6%
Thelma Drake	VA-02	21.5%
Jack Kingston	GA-01	21.4%
Henry Brown	SC-01	21.1%
Ted Poe	TX-02	20.5%

Retiring incumbents are in italics.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Obama is going to give magical coattails that will allow all downballot Dems to win in these tough districts, but his candidacy does create a unique dynamic of sky-high African-American turnout that should be a net plus for most Democratic challengers in these seats.

We’ve got strong candidates waging credible campaigns in a number of these districts, particularly in LA-04 (Paul Carmouche), AL-02 (Bobby Bright), and OH-01 (Steve Driehaus). We also have some surprisingly well-funded challengers emerging in the two South Carolina districts — Linda Ketner in SC-01 and Rob Miller in SC-02. These are tough districts for any Democrat to win, but it sure looks like they picked the right year to try.

After Childers’ win, I’m starting to wonder if former Rep. Ronnie Shows is regretting his decision not to run for the open seat that Chip Pickering is leaving behind.

Update: SSP’s DavidNYC has an excellent post on DailyKos analyzing Obama’s chances in Mississippi.

As many of you know I have been supporting Heather Ryan for Kentucky’s First Congressional District. I got to know Heather in 06 when I volunteered for the Eric Streit for Congress campaign, and am proud to call her a friend. Heather is young, smart, and motivated to bring about the change we need in Western Kentucky.  

Some may ask what a young woman such as herself is doing running against the millionaire good old boys club here in Kentucky. Yes, the Mitch McConnell machine just loves chewing aspiring Democrats up and spitting them out. Especially the grassroots kind. They feel their hold on power and policy in Kentucky is sort of a birthright, and they aren’t going to relinquish it without a fight.

Well, they may just get one this time. Heather Ryan is definately nobody’s pushover. If she goes down, she is going to go down fighting the corrupt Republican machine here in Kentucky, not laying down. Just because she is young, that does not mean she is not qualified to run for this seat, and it doesn’t mean she is scared to fight for it.

She proudly served her country in the United States Navy. She graduated from Drake University with a Batchelor’s in Political Science. She is educated and has excellent common sense. She is a wife, mother, and citizen of Western Kentucky and knows well the challenges our citizens face. She also knows someone needs to fight for us.

Listen to this speech of Heather, and you will see just like I do that she is a Democrats that shares our ideals and wants to fight like hell for them. She is just the type of Demcocrat we need fighting in Washington:

Heather hit the nail on the head more than once with that speech. I must say that I am very proud of her, and very proud to be fighting with Ryan for Kentucky for the change all Americans need. We have a great candidate that will fight and can win. If we get the resources we need to get our message out, we WILL win.

We simply must fight for “fighting Democrats” wherever they may appear. We must not only elect Democrats, but we must elect Democrats that share our sense of urgency and wants to fight, not compromise. With that in mind I started Americans for Ryan with the goal of reaching $1500 for Heather by May 20. Thanks to many great Democrats, I have already shattered that goal. I have until Tuesday, so why not help me really shatter it?:

http://www.actblue.com/page/am…

Anyone donating on or before May 20 will be entered into a drawing to win these two pinback buttons from the 1960 campaign of JFK:

Best wishes everyone!!

 

This is it, folks. The one. The final piece of straw set atop the shambling camel of the GOP, the one which clove its dessicated humps in two.

Only it’s more like a ton of bricks crushing the Republican roach.

Let’s take stock of this race to see what I mean:

• This district has a PVI of R+10. It voted for Bush 62-37 in the last election. Only seven Democrats sit in comparably red seats – and not a single Republican sits in a seat as blue as this one is red. And almost every major prognosticator (at least at the start) treated this as a safe seat.
• The GOP had a perfectly serviceable candidate in Greg Davis – a standard wingnut with none of the baggage of Woody Jenkins in LA-06 or Jim Oberweis in IL-14.
• The NRCC spent $1.3 million on this race. Freedom’s Crotch spent at least $400K more – and used illegal tactics to boot. And of course Davis himself raised over a million.
• They sent in Mike Huckabee, Thad Cochran, Trent Lott, Haley Barbour, and Roger Wicker.
• And when that wasn’t enough, Darth Cheney came to town, to stump and raise money.
• The GOP played up Obama/Pelosi/”librul” fear-mongering to the hilt. They were shameless in exploiting whatever racial angle they thought would work.

And yet what happened? Despite all this, Travis Childers just became the newest member of the Democratic Caucus with a resounding 54-46 win. It’s utterly unspinnable. Even Tom Cole knew not to try.

But a sober press release only sees him through until tomorrow morning. Then he has to face the same vast universe of problems he had before him today, except they will loom much larger and much more sharply. Almost every potentially contestable Republican seat is in play now. The “every man for himself” mentality that has taken hold amongst the GOP will become even more firmly entrenched, dooming already-weak NRCC fundraising. In Congress, discipline will likely suffer as vulnerable members (ie, much of the caucus) are tempted to side with the Dems. And we may even see some more retirements. Things are going to get much, much worse before they ever get better for the GOP – if they do at all.

For a lot of reasons, this to me is the sweetest of our three recent special election victories. But to the GOP, seldom has more bitter medicine passed their lips. Glib commentators will say that the Republican brand is tarnished. The fact is, it is the Republican Party which itself is broken.

And this election is what helped break it.

I know many people haven’t heard of Ed Whitfield, Congressman from Kentucky’s First Congressional District. He has kept a low-profile and has few accomplishments to show for it. Despite this, Ed Whitfield has quietly amassed a record of rubber-stamping President Bush and the Republican leadership in all their failed glory.

Don’t just take my word for it, the record is there for all to see. Ed Whitfield has constantly voted against the interests of Progress in this country.

On fair trade, there can be none worse. Yes, there seems to never be a trade deal Exxon Eddie didn’t like. Check it out:

Voted YES on promoting free trade with Peru.

Approves the Agreement entered into with the government of Peru. Provides for the Agreement’s entry into force upon certain conditions being met on or after January 1, 2008. Prescribes requirements for:

1. Enforcement of textile and apparel rules of origin;

2. Certain textile and apparel safeguard measures; and

3. enforcement of export laws governing trade of timber products from Peru.

Reference: Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act; Bill H.R. 3688 ; vote number 2007-1060 on Nov 8, 2007

http://www.ontheissues.org/Hou…

Voted YES on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade.

To implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement. A vote of YES would:

Progressively eliminate customs duties on all originating goods traded among the participating nations

Preserve U.S. duties on imports of sugar goods over a certain quota

Remove duties on textile and apparel goods traded among participating nations

Prohibit export subsidies for agricultural goods traded among participating nations

Provide for cooperation among participating nations on customs laws and import licensing procedures

Encourage each participating nation to adopt and enforce laws ensuring high levels of sanitation and environmental protection

Recommend that each participating nation uphold the International Labor Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

Urge each participating nation to obey various international agreements regarding intellectual property rights

Reference: CAFTA Implementation Bill; Bill HR 3045 ; vote number 2005-443 on Jul 28, 2005

http://www.ontheissues.org/Hou…

Voted YES on implementing US-Singapore free trade agreement.

Vote to pass a bill that would put into effect a trade agreement between the United States and Singapore. The trade agreement would reduce tariffs and trade barriers between the United States and Singapore. The agreement would remove tariffs on goods and duties on textiles, and open markets for services The agreement would also establish intellectual property, environmental and labor standards.

Reference: US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement; Bill HR 2739 ; vote number 2003-432 on Jul 24, 2003

http://www.ontheissues.org/Hou…

Even worse still, Exxon Eddie votes against the very workers his policies on trade leave in the cold:

Voted NO on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization.

H.R.3920: Trade and Globalization Act of 2007: Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to allow the filing for trade adjustment assistance (TAA) by adversely affected workers. Revises group eligibility requirements for TAA to cover: (1) a shift of production or services to abroad; or (2) imports of articles or services from abroad.

Reference: Trade and Globalization Assistance Act; Bill HR3920 ; vote number 2007-1025 on Oct 31, 2007

http://www.ontheissues.org/Hou…

Yes, Exxon Eddie is more than willing to ship our jobs overseas. Why should we help displaced workers? They are building a new Taco Bell down the street, on of those 19,000 jobs Whitfield created in 13 yrs!!

Let us not forget too that Whitfield has been a constant enabler for every failed policy of George W. Bush in the Congress. He has rubber-stamped every failed policy they sent his way:

Voted NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days.

To provide for the redeployment of US Armed Forces and defense contractors from Iraq. Requires within 90 days to commence the redeployment; and to complete such redeployment within 180 days after its commencement. Prohibits the use of DOD funds to increase the number of US forces serving in Iraq in excess of the number serving in Iraq as of January 1, 2007, unless specifically authorized by Congress. Authorizes retaining in Iraq US forces for providing security for diplomatic missions; for targeting al-Qaeda; and for training Iraqi Security Forces. Requires the President to transfer to the government of Iraq all interest held by the US in any military facility in Iraq.

Reference: Out of Iraq Caucus bill; Bill H R 2237 ; vote number 2007-330 on May 10, 2007

http://www.ontheissues.org/Hou…

Voted YES on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date.

Voting YES would support the following resolution (excerpted):

Whereas the United States and its allies are engaged in a Global War on Terror, a long and demanding struggle against an adversary that is driven by hatred of American values and that is committed to imposing, by the use of terror, its repressive ideology throughout the world;

Whereas the terrorists have declared Iraq to be the central front in their war against all who oppose their ideology;

Whereas the United States and its Coalition partners will continue to support Iraq as part of the Global War on Terror:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

Honors all those Americans who have taken an active part in the Global War on Terror;

Declares that it is not in the national security interest of the United States to set an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of United States Armed Forces from Iraq;

Declares that the United States is committed to the completion of the mission to create a sovereign, free, secure, and united Iraq;

Declares that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the noble struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.

Reference: Resolution on Prevailing in the Global War on Terror; Bill HRES 861 ; vote number 2006-288 on Jun 12, 2006

http://www.ontheissues.org/Hou…

Voted YES on authorizing military force in Iraq.

Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq: Passage of the joint resolution that would authorize President Bush to use the US military as he deems necessary and appropriate to defend U.S. national security against Iraq and enforce UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq. It would be required that the president report to Congress, no later than 48 hours after using force, his determination that diplomatic options or other peaceful means would not guarantee US national security against Iraq or allow enforcement of UN resolutions and that using force is consistent with anti-terrorism efforts. The resolution would also give specific statutory authorization under the War Powers Resolution. Every 60 days the president would also be required to report to Congress on actions related to the resolution.

Reference: Bill sponsored by Hastert,R-IL; Bill HJRes114 ; vote number 2002-455 on Oct 10, 2002

http://www.ontheissues.org/Hou…

Worse even that all of this is that Ed Whitfield enabled George W. Bush in stealing the Constitutional rights of every American citizen:

Voted YES on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant.

Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to allow the President & Attorney General to authorize electronic surveillance without a court order to acquire foreign intelligence information, after certifying that the surveillance is directed at the acquisition of communications of foreign agents.

Reference: Update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978; Bill H.R.5825 ; vote number 2006-502 on Sep 28, 2006

http://www.ontheissues.org/Hou…

Voted YES on continuing intelligence gathering without civil oversight.

A resolution providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5020) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities. Voting YES indicates support of the current methods for intelligence-gathering used by the CIA and other agencies.

Reference: Intelligence Authorization Act; Bill HR 5020 resolution H RES 774 ; vote number 2006-108 on Apr 26, 2006

http://www.ontheissues.org/Hou…

Voted YES on making the PATRIOT Act permanent.

To extend and modify authorities needed to combat terrorism, and for other purposes, including:

Assigning three judges to hear individuals’ petitions concerning improper requests by the FBI for library circulation records, library patron lists, book sales records, book customer lists, and other records

Reporting every year the number of library records orders that are granted, modified, or denied

Allows Internet service providers to disclose their subscribers information and the contents of their communications to a government entity, if they believe there is “immediate danger of death or serious physical injury”

Requires that any court that allows a “roving wiretap” under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) must describe in great detail the intended target whose identity is not known

Allows individuals and businesses to seek legal counsel if they have received a National Security Letter from the FBI requiring them to disclose financial information and records

Reference: USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act; Bill HR 3199 ; vote number 2005-627 on Dec 14, 2005

Ed Whitfield will constantly fight against any real Progress in this country. His votes along the line bear it out. He does not share the values of Kentucky’s First Congressional District, and does not live among us.

Luckily, we have an awosome candidate in Heather Ryan, we just need the resources to get our message, and Whitfield’s record out to the voters. Visit Heather’s site here:

Please consider supporting our drive to oust Exxon Eddie, who as you can see clearly needs to be sent packing.

Please join our campaign for change in Western Kentucky here:

http://www.ryanforkentucky.com/

Please help bring that change about here:

http://www.actblue.com/page/am…

Anyone contributing on the Americans for Ryan page by May 20 will be entered in a drawing to win two pinback buttons from the 1960 campaign of JFK.

Best wishes everyone!!

 

It has been a rocky road in Kentucky’s Democratic Senate Primary. First, we kept losing candidates as the establishment lined it up for Bruce Lunsford.  I actually lost interest in the race knowing I would vote my straight ticket in the fall. Now it seems we will be able to mount a successful Progressive challenge after all. That is because Greg Fischer has stepped to the plate and is charging to the finish. This race is heating up and has begun to tighten.  

In exchanges yesterday and today, these campaigns kept slugging it out. First, Bruce Lunsford released this:

LOUISVILLE – In a stunning display of hypocrisy, U.S. Senate candidate Greg Fischer touted his record as “an open book,” yet he failed to file his Personal Financial Disclosure (PFD) report with the Senate Ethics Committee until 11 days after the deadline.

Fischer has repeatedly attacked fellow Democrat Bruce Lunsford for his management of Vencor and spread false information about Lunsford’s business record. Yet, when Fischer finally filed his PFD, it revealed he has investments in five different publicly traded funds which invest in either Ventas or Kindred – both corporate descendants of Vencor.

“Greg Fischer has gone against the will of Kentucky’s voters and Democratic leaders by taking a page out of Mitch McConnell’s playbook, slinging mud at his fellow Democrat Bruce Lunsford rather than focusing on what he would do as Senator to improve the lives of Kentucky families,” Lunsford spokesperson Allison Haley said. “The fact that all the while, Fischer has investments in the very companies he claims Bruce ran into the ground makes Fischer’s actions the ultimate hypocrisy.”

Senate ethics rules require all candidates in the Kentucky Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate to submit their PFD form to the Senate Ethic Committee 30 days before the election. Greg Fischer didn’t even sign his form until more than a week after the deadline and then took an additional three days to send it in.

Examination of Fischer’s PFD shows his investment portfolio includes public funds that have a combined total investment of over $26 million in Ventas and Kindred.

“If I were Greg Fischer, I wouldn’t want the public to know I had been investing in the same companies I was openly criticizing either. Maybe that’s why he waited so long to file his PFD.,” Haley said. “What else is he hiding?”

http://www.bruce2008.com/relea…

The Fischer campaign was quick to respond:

LOUISVILLE, May 6, 2008 – Kim Geveden, Political Director for Greg Fischer’s U.S. Senate campaign blasted Lunsford’s Swift-Boat-Style attack yesterday saying.  “Bruce Lunsford’s latest negative attack against Greg Fischer is as false as it its ridiculous and desperate.  It looks like it could have been authored by Mitch McConnell.

“You know Lunsford is desperate when he reverts to his true Republican roots and takes a page from his 2003 playbook in which he spent $8 million falsely attacking Ben Chandler, only to quit, desert our Democratic Party, stand with Mitch McConnell and publicly endorse Ernie Fletcher,” Geveden said.

“Confronted with independent poll results showing Fischer gaining rapidly, Bruce Lunsford has abandoned his much touted “Integrity Pledge” and is once again falsely attacking an honorable Democrat in Greg Fischer, while desperately trying to stop the political hemorrhaging that threatens his ego and quest for the Democratic nomination.”

The campaign added this “fact sheet” to counter Lunsford’s claims:

Lunsford’s False Claim:

“Fischer has investments in the very companies (Ventas and Kindred Healthcare) he claims Bruce ran into the ground.”

Fischer Fact:

Fischer has no direct or indirect investment in Vencor, the company that Bruce Lunsford ran into the ground and bankrupted.  Lunsford’s mismanagement of Vencor in the period leading up to its bankruptcy is well-documented and includes charges of patient abuse and falsely billing the federal government.

Fischer Fact:

Ventas and Kindred have absolutely nothing to do with Bruce Lunsford’s mismanagement of Vencor. Bruce Lunsford has absolutely no managing control over either Ventas or Kindred.  Lunsford’s is attempting to use Kindred and Ventas as a smoke-screen to hide his appalling behavior as CEO of Vencor.

Fischer Fact:

Fischer holds no direct investment in Ventas or Kindred – The truth is, Fischer owns shares in two mutual investment funds – iShares Russell 1000 Growth Fund and iShares Russell 2000 Value Fund.  Ventas and Kindred make up an extremely small fraction of the holdings of the two funds.

Fischer Fact:

Fischer owns 5,500 shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth Fund. At market close yesterday, the Ventas portion of Fischer’s investment in the fund was valued at $289.18.

Fischer Fact:

Fischer owns 1,300 shares of iShares Russell 2000 Value Fund. At market close yesterday, the Kindred portion of Fischer’s investment in the fund was valued at $113.47

http://www.gregfischer.com/ind…

All this comes at the same time a new SurveyUsa poll is released which shows Fischer creep steadily up the polls as time runs quickly away:

Two Weeks Out, Lunsford Still Well in Front in KY Dem Senate Primary: In a Democratic Primary for United States Senator from Kentucky today, 05/06/08, 2 weeks until the primary, Bruce Lunsford defeats Greg Fischer, 41% to 22%, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for WHAS-TV Louisville and WCPO-TV Cincinnati. Five other candidates are in single digits. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released one week ago, Fischer is up 4, Lunsford is down 2. Among men, three weeks ago, Lunsford led by 40 points; one week ago, by 21; today, by 20. Among women, Lunsford led by 35, by 27, and now by 19. Among voters 50+, Lunsford led by 44, by 21, and now by 14. The winner of the 05/20/08 closed Democratic Primary advances to face incumbent Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate, who is running for his 5th term.

http://www.surveyusa.com/clien…

The Political Director of Fischer’s campaign had this to say about the new numbers, showing a steady rise for Fischer:

The polling trends clearly shows that Bruce Lunsford is a fatally flawed candidate,” said Kim Geveden, political director for the Fischer campaign.  Matt Stoller, a nationally prominent political commentator who regularly appears on CNN and other national news broadcasts, has described Lunsford as, “…definitely the worst Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in the country.”

She then went on to explain this sentiment which is shared by many Kentuckians including myself:

“Kentucky Democrats are starting to focus on this race.  They’re learning more about Greg Fischer.  And they’re remembering Lunsford’s defection to the Republican party in 2003 and his support of Republican Ernie Fletcher for governor.” said Geveden.  “The conclusion they’re coming to is the obvious one:  Greg Fischer is the best Democratic candidate in this race and he’ll give Mitch McConnell more than he’s bargained for in the general election this fall.”

http://www.gregfischer.com/ind…

Now, Ms. Geveden summed up nicely how I feel about Bruce Lunsford and Greg Fischer. I don’t come upon this opinion lightly. Here are some of Lunsford’s political contributions:

http://www.bluegrassroots.org/…

This video sums it up nicely:

Now, Fischer’s rise in this race has given me hope that we can actually run a candidate I can be proud of, a candidate that hasn’t been fighting against me through all these long years we have been losing here. A candidate that is Progressive, and won’t turn on us if he gets mad.

Greg Fischer believes in our kind of Change:

He tells a truth Kentuckians can believe in:

Please help us avoid risking our support to elect another DINO into the United States Senate. Greg Fischer can still win this race!! All the momentum is his, and he still has time. Two weeks can be an eternity in politics!! Please help us and support Greg here:

http://www.actblue.com/page/wk…

Be sure to visit his site, and spread the word about a great Senator-to-be in Kentucky!!:

http://www.gregfischer.com/

A while back I started my Americans for Ryan ActBlue page to try and raise $1500 for Heather Ryan in Kentucky’s First Congressional District by the time of the primary she is unopposed in on May 20. Well, the great news is fully two weeks before that date, Americans for Ryan crossed the $1500 mark today!!

I can only say thanks to everyone who made this possible. Heather has been staying busy meeting voters, and every penney of this money has been invaluable and put to work immediately!!

I am very proud of the fact that many Kentuckians joined in, and contributed too!! In fact the last contributor that put us over the top was a prominent Kentucky Democrat!! Although I won’t name names, I am so proud to have this person’s support. Lets me know we are doing something right!!

You can bet, grassroots Democrats in this district are going to be fighting hard to expand our Congressional majorities. We have a great candidate, a winning message, and a large percentage of registered Democrats in our district. With support from Democrats all over the country, we will put this race in play!!

Now, just because we passed our goal, doesn’t mean the May 20 fundraiser is over. We will still be holding our contest to see who wins the pinback buttons from JFK’s 1960 election seen here:

Anyone who contributed on or before May 20 is automatically entered in a drawing for this small piece of history.

Due to the hard work of Heather Ryan and the generosity of our fellow Democrats, we are going to win this race!! Keep the momentum going here:

http://www.actblue.com/page/am…

Thanks so much for making this a success!!

Best wishes fellow Democrats!!

 

The question of the Senate race in Kentucky is coming down to the question not of, do we want to replace Mitch McConnell, but who will be best to replace Mitch McConnell in the fall. I am one Democrat that would never entertain the thought of not only voting for McConnell but indeed NOT VOTING AGAIMST HIM. You can bet this is one Democrat that will be voting for our nominee.  

That being said this is one Democrat that that wants to vote for what he fights for. In this election year I just see no reason why Democrats can’t stand up and fight as Democrats without shame. It works when it is tried.

Now, I admit at the beginning of this process, I didn’t know who Greg Fischer was. I originally supported Greg Stumbo, former A.G. of Kentucky to run against McConnell. He made a trip to talk to the DSCC and never came back. Well, not as a candidate for Senate at least.

Then I went to automatic second choice Andrew Horne. His fate is more widely publicized and known than Greg Stumbo’s, but were basically the same. I went through a month when I didn’t know who I would vote for in that race, and I will admit lost interest in it to a certain degree. I like Kenneth Stepp a lot, but realized the problems he would have. He is a great Democrat though. I talked to the Cassaro campaign, and will admit those are some class folks who did respond over there. I just didn’t feel their views matched up with mine.

I began to think that I would have to vote for Bruce Lunsford, holding my nose and hoping that he voted my fight at least 50% of the time if he won. McConnell is after-all 0%. At least it would be an improvement.

But then in support of Heather Ryan I went to an event in Benton to meet with the DEC there. Greg Fischer showed up at the same meeting. After it was over he came up and wished Heather luck in her fall election. He said how he really hoped he would be on that ticket to. He asked my name, and for my support and I flat out told him there were a few things I was concerned about. He took the time to talk to me about his views on healthcare as I told him that I was recently stricken with Type 1 Diabetes.

Greg Fischer won my vote that day. Although he never said anything about the Presidential race, his views and statements seemed to have an Edwards Populist ring to them. From healthcare, to Fair Trade, to a sensible exit from Iraq, to fighting Corporate Greed, fighting for workers, all down the line, he shared my views, and wanted to fight for them. He would be an excellent Senator for a new Democratic President.

Now, I hate to trash Democrats, but I am never going to be anyone’s robot. (Not insinuating anyone is.) I can speak out on even my party and it’s candidates if I feel they are wrong. That is my right and I will do so. There are many things that can be used against Bruce Lunsford, but this one is foremost to me:

Do I even have to comment on that? Add to that his past contributions to Republicans up to and INCLUDING Mitch McConnell!!!, leads me to believe that he will not fight for me, and will turn coat more times than not. I mean, the whole time I was fighting uphill fights for Democratic candidates in several races Bruce Lunsford fought against me. I don’t dislike the man personally, but that is just the truth of reality.

Reality is I support Greg Fischer in the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate. His truth is my truth, as summed up here:

Help Greg Fischer win here:

http://www.actblue.com/page/wk…

Best wishes fellow Democrats!!

There are three Portland-based, general circulation newspapers: The Oregonian, The Willamette Week, and the Portland Mercury*. The number of times they've all endorsed the same candidate for a major office recently can probably be counted on one hand (or less!), but when it comes to the Democratic nomination for Senate, they're in perfect harmony: they want the guy with the hook.

We covered The O's big Sunday endorsement of Steve; let's add in the others. First, Willamette Week, whose nod may certainly have been less of a surprise than that from the House of Stickel, but which comes on the heels of a joint endorsement interview Novick's critics–and even some supporters–mark as his low moment of the campaign. The ed board may or may not have liked Novick's answers on the peripheral questions of the race, but they liked Merkley's issue positions even less, making note of three separate areas of "concern."

In the end, the editors appear happily surprised to have Novick exceed their expectations to become a legitimate, solid candidate with the potential for greatness:

Let’s be clear. Back in January 2007, Novick was little more than a placeholder. Novick has a rapier wit, a winning affinity for sports references and an impressive behind-the-scenes résumé working for worthy causes. But Oregonians were waiting for another, more credible Democratic challenger to Smith, a telegenic senator who’s raised boatloads of cash and worked to style himself in the moderate image of past Republican icons such as Mark Hatfield, Bob Packwood and Tom McCall. We all thought that other person would come along.

We were hotly divided between the fun, speak-his-mind insurgent who calls to mind the late Sen. Paul Wellstone and the impassive Merkley, who calls to mind the widely respected Sen. Al Gore—the wooden version, before he became as steaming as the planet.

In the end, we rallied around Novick because we see a capacity for a refreshing independence and an unwavering willingness to tackle our toughest issues, like providing universal health care and ending the war in Iraq. We recognize, too, he could be a spectacular failure, a quotable firebrand for the left who is both alienating and alienated. Our hope is he commits himself to becoming the Senate’s best workhorse before shooting for the ranks of Sunday talk-show showhorse. Novick, please play nice.

 {the Merc's endorsement, and even bigger swipe at Merkley, below}  

 Near the bottom of a long list of City endorsees, in today's issue The Merc gets to the statewide races and makes their call for Senate:

We've gone back and forth on this endorsement for weeks. Were we choosing the candidate who would make the best US Senator, or were we picking the one best suited to topple formidable Republican Gordon Smith—someone who'd put up a better fight, even if they weren't ultimately successful?  

Finally, we realized that attorney and political activist Steve Novick is the best choice on both counts. Not only will he give Smith the toughest challenge—just look at the momentum he's got against Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, a solid political leader, and the guy plenty of Democrats assumed would be coronated as the nominee—but assuming he wins in November (and we're starting to believe he can), we're excited to see what he'd do in DC.

At first, we thought his campaign was heavy on schtick—relying on viral ads highlighting Novick's steel hook prosthetic left hand—and short on evidence that Novick would be an effective representative for Oregon. But as the campaign has heated up, we're pleased to see that Novick's record on things like taking on the Oregon Lottery Commission to fight for more school funding has translated well to federal policy issues—we have no doubt that Novick will be a strong advocate to end the war, create universal health care, and help the working class.

The brainy Novick's penchant for saying exactly what's on his mind has gotten him in trouble a few times, but it's apparent that he's learning to temper that impulse. That said, he'll continue to do things differently, in a way that makes you wonder why more politicians don't follow his lead. Meanwhile, his opponents like Candy Neville and Jeff Merkley are virtually on the same page when it comes to agendas and policy positions. Smith, however, would trounce Neville. While Merkley would likely be a solid senator, given his track record leading Democrats in Salem, we're just not that into him. Vote for Novick. [emph me]

Ouch. Leave it to the Merc to put out there as plainly as possible: Jeff Merkley just does not inspire many people, or make them believe that he has the potential for greatness. This is an election to get excited about making real change, and Merkley is coming up short. 

What's the practical value of these endorsements? Hard to say, although there is certainly some kind of benefit to having all three major papers backing the same guy (especially, as I said above, when they generally don't agree). Veteran OR politico Charlie Burr thinks he has an idea of their impact, however, and he states it in comments at BlueOregon:

The Mercury endorsements will matter more than usual this year for the same reason WWeek's will: 30,000 new voters registered by the Oregon Obama campaign. The Obama campaign may have registered them, but these new voters will still be looking for additional cues for other races on their ballots.

 

 You do have to figure that particularly with these latest two, the demographic skews towards younger voters. And with a lot more younger voters in the mix who cannot WAIT to vote in this primary, there's no question that seeing Novick's name downticket in the endorsement will help shade some of those folks–who may be so jazzed about the Pres race that they haven't been following some others–towards Steve. Nothing wrong with that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*The Portland Tribune obviously exists as well, but for the purposes of endorsement the Pamplin ownership group makes a blanket call for all its papers in the area; and while there are other papers publishing in Portland, they are aimed at specific rather than general audiences.